The place for people crazy about analysis of international judo competitions, players & techniques.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Ekaterinburg Grand Slam 2017 - Russia DAY TWO

The Ekaterinburg Grand Slam 2017 cast
forward leading candidates for the World Championships as the
heavyweights contested the seven remaining categories on the final day
of competition in Russia.

Russia’s leg of the IJF World Judo Tour was staged in
Ekaterinburg for the first time and the world-class roster of nations
and judoka illustrated that regardless of the city the competition has
the respect of judo’s premier athletes and is a key stop on the road to
the Worlds.

Day two featured the women’s -70kg, -78kg and +78g
categories and men’s -81kg, -90kg, -100kg and +100kg categories at the
Palace of Sports.

HASHIMOTO Soichi (JPN) – The Ippon Hunter

HASHIMOTO Soichi (JPN) is nobody’s understudy. The
-73kg judoka now leads the world in the rankings having won gold on
Saturday in Ekaterinburg.

However, HASHIMOTO, 25, who is undefeated on the IJF
circuit since 2015, is the number two domestically with Olympic champion
and double world champion ONO Shohei (JPN) for company at this weight.

The World Judo Masters winner has more than filled the
void left by ONO who is taking some time out from international
competition and will miss the World Championships to focus on completing
his studies at Tenri University.

The charismatic star has excelled over the last 12
months as he has earned comparisons to Japan’s all-time great and 1992
Olympic champion KOGA Toshihiko (JPN) and this year the responsibility
lies with the Worlds debutant to keep the -73kg title in Japan.

Judo’s founding nation has proved to be unbeatable at
this weight with AKIMOTO Hiroyuki winning in 2010, NAKAYA Riki
triumphing in 2011 and 2014 and ONO Shohei capturing the World crown in
2013 and 2015.

“I am very happy with this gold medal,” said HASHIMOTO
who pushed for ippon in the final (against Marcelo CONTINI) despite
being in control with an advantage of two waza-ari scores without reply.

Relentless in his pursuit of the maximum score and his
favoured sode-tsurikomi-goshi, which he calls the HASHIMOTO special, the
Japanese explained his philosophy.

“The reason is very simple, I always want to get ippon,
when I had first waza-ari, I thought about defensive judo, but I really
wanted ippon.

“Sode-tsurikomi-goshi is one of my main techniques, it
is my favourite, but I can achieve this in many different ways and until
the World Championships I will work on this even more.”

When asked about being his country’s only judoka at
-73kg at the Worlds – and the absence of ONO Shohei – HASHIMOTO was
positive and is relishing the opportunity to take his majestic talent to
the World Championships stage.

“ONO is a very good rival for me, but he is nothing to do with me this year, as my main target is to become world champion.

“My target is Worlds gold and I want to win every contest by ippon in Budapest.”

As the IJF wraps up the elite side of proceedings in
Ekaterinburg, a separate IJF delegation has arrived in Dagestan to film
the latest #JudoForTheWorld video.

London 2012 Olympic champions Arsen GALSTYAN, Mansur
ISAEV and Tagir KHAIBULAEV will lead training sessions with budding
judoka and explain the role judo has played in their lives and making
them the champions that they are today.

Stay tuned to the IJF’s social media channels for updates from the Dagestan filming.

The IJF World Judo Tour now heads for Mexico for the
first Cancun Grand Prix from 16 – 18 June. The IJF visited Mexico for
the first time last year to stage the World Judo Masters in Guadalajara
and the best judoka in the world are set for the penultimate Grand Prix
ahead of August’s World Championships.

Use #JudoRussia2017 to join in with the post-event social media discussion

WOMEN

-70kg: Valiant VAN DIJKE fights back to triumph on the road to Budapest

European champion Sanne VAN DIJKE (NED) won Grand Slam gold with a
come-from-behind win in the final over former Casablanca African Open
bronze medallist Alena PROKOPENKO (RUS). The Russian took an unexpected
lead with a waza-ari from a sumi-gaeshi as the vastly-improved Russian
tested the mettle of her Dutch opponent. Tokyo 2020 prospect VAN DIJKE
is currently concentrating on Budapest 2017 and fought back from a
waza-ari deficit to tie the contest with nine seconds remaining and
moved into osaekomi for the win as the lack of contest management of the
home judoka was exposed in the closing seconds.

In the first semi-final PROKOPENKO beat Tokyo Grand
Slam winner NIIZOE Saki (JPN) by ippon with nine seconds left on the
clock while in the second semi-final VAN DIJKE beat two-time Grand Slam
bronze medallist Aleksandra SAMARDZIC (BIH) by ippon.

The first bronze medal was won by former Budapest Grand
Prix bronze medallist Anna BERNHOLM (SWE) who submitted beaten
semi-finalist SAMARDZIC with a juji-gatame. The Swede had lost at this
stage at a Grand Slam on five occasions but looks stronger at -70kg and
will be a judoka to watch in this category on the road to Tokyo 2020.

The second bronze medal contest was won by NIIZOE who
had the beating of world silver medallist Maria BERNABEU (ESP). Former
Baku Grand Slam winner BERNABEU lost by the smallest of margins as
NIIZOE prevailed by a waza-ari to win her first Grand Slam medal outside
of Japan.

-78kg: World champ UMEKI earns first Grand Slam crown as title defence loomsWorld
champion UMEKI Mami (JPN) won her first Grand Slam title and in process
recorded back-to-back wins on the IJF World Judo Tour. UMEKI, 22, who
was worn her red backpatch since 2015 – as there are no World
Championships in an Olympic year – won the Dusseldorf Grand Prix last
time out and won all four of her contests in Ekaterinburg by ippon
including the final against double European bronze medallist Natalie
POWELL (GBR). World number five, POWELL, fighting in her first Grand
Slam final, matched her Japanese opponent for much of the contest but
when the action moved to the ground it was UMEKI who was sharper and
applied a ude-garami and the Welsh judoka was forced to submit.

In the first semi-final European Championships bronze
medallist JOO Abigel (HUN) lost out to UMEKI who forced the Hungarian to
submit while also holding her down.

In the second semi-final POWELL left her leg in just
long enough to turn Abu Dhabi Grand Slam silver medallist Anna Maria
WAGNER (GER) on the edge of the mat and drive over the youngster for
ippon.

The first bronze medal was spectacularly claimed by
WAGNER who launched Sofia European Open bronze medallist Antonina
SHMELEVA (RUS) with a sumptuous hane-goshi for ippon with a minute
remaining. The second bronze medal contest saw JOO continue to build
momentum towards Budapest 2017 as she defeated Budapest Grand Prix
bronze medallist Karen STEVENSON (NED) by the maximum score after 90
seconds.

+78kg: ASAHINA earns second Grand Slam win on the road in 2017Paris
Grand Slam winner ASAHINA Sarah (JPN) continued her undefeated streak
with a comfortable win in Russia. Tokai University member ASAHINA, 20,
has now won Grand Slams in Tokyo, Paris and Ekaterinburg in succession
and won the All Japan Openweight Championships in April. The Japanese
starlet defeated European Games silver medallist Jasmin KUELBS (GER) for
her latest success with a waza-ari from an uchi-mata proving the
difference after four minutes.

In the first semi-final European Championships bronze
medallist Larisa CERIC (BIH) was thwarted by ASAHINA who threw with a
harai-goshi for ippon.

In the second semi-final KUELBS showed off her
ashi-waza to throw European Championships bronze medallist Carolin WEISS
(GER) for the maximum score.

The first bronze medal was claimed by WEISS who bested
double world silver medallist Maria Suelen ALTHEMAN (BRA) by a waza-ari
score which from a ura-nage after 20 seconds of golden score. The second
bronze medal contest was won by European Championships winner Maryna
SLUTSKAYA (BLR) as CERIC accumulated three shido penalties to receive
hansoku-make.

-81kg: The gold backpatch fits as KHALMURZAEV wins at home

Rio 2016
Olympic champion Khasan KHALMURZAEV (RUS) thrilled the partisan crowd
as he beat two-time Grand Slam runner-up UNGVARI Attila (HUN) in the
-81kg final. The 23-year-old crowd pleaser punched the air after
throwing UNGVARI with a uchi-mata for ippon after just 58 seconds.
KHALMURZAEV celebrated his second Grand Slam gold after a win in Baku in
2015 but this victory was extra sweet as it was his first IJF
competition since he won the Olympics and it came in front of his
family, friends and fans. KHALMURZAEV is now the front-runner to top the
-81kg podium at the World Championships and the gold backpatch will be a
target on his back for all entrants in Budapest.

In the first semi-final Paris Grand Slam winner Frank
DE WIT (NED) was outlasted by KHALMURZAEV who threw the young Dutchman
with an uchi-mata for a waza-ari score after 12 seconds of golden
score.

In the second semi-final UNGVARI defeated Antalya Grand
Prix bronze medallist Murat KHABACHIROV (RUS) as the latter ran out of
steam in golden score. UNGVARI, the younger brother of Hungarian legend
UNGVARI Miklos, rolled over the Russian after 68 seconds of golden score
for a match-winning waza-ari.

The first bronze medal was clinched Pan American
Championships bronze medallist Etienne BRIAND (CAN) who narrowly
defeated KHABACHIROV with a waza-ari score after four minutes from a
morote-seoi-nage to open his Grand Slam medal account.

Paris Grand Slam silver medallist Zebeda REKHVIASHVILI
(GEO) won the second bronze medal after a surprisingly one-sided clash
against top seed DE WIT. REKHVIASHVILI has the tall order of filling the
gap left by former world champion Avtandili TCHRIKISHVILI (GEO) who has
moved up to -90kg but is making great strides as he showed here with
three waza-ari scores giving him the platform to go on and win by
ippon.

Tokyo Grand Slam bronze medallist NAGASAWA Kenta (JPN)
stepped up to the Grand Slam level with the best performance of his
young career as he beat the returning former world silver medallist TOTH
Krisztian (HUN) in golden score. TOTH, who was making his comeback
having undergone shoulder surgery and recently returned to full health,
is never involved in flat contests. The Hungarian has a tendency to be
locked in the most engaging and dramatic of battles but could not
generate his usual power and the contest was scoreless after four
minutes. NAGASAWA found an extra gear in added time and, as Japan team
manager INOUE Kosei looked on matside, was able to trap TOTH on the
ground and the latter decided to tap out to save himself for another day
as he aims for World Championships at home in August.

In the first semi-final Casablanca African Open winner
Nikoloz SHERAZADISHVILI (ESP) lost out to the returning TOTH by a
waza-ari score. In the second semi-final four-time Grand Slam runner-up
Noel VAN T END (NED) suffered defeat at the hands of NAGASAWA via a
harai-goshi at the halfway mark.

The first bronze medal was won by VAN T END who made a
strong finish as he beat double Grand Slam silver medallist Ushangi
MARGIANI (GEO) in golden score by a waza-ari score for his fifth medal
at this level. The second bronze medal went to Magomed MAGOMEDOV (RUS)
who held down SHERAZADISHVILI for 20 seconds for ippon having sent the
Spaniard to the ground with a thunderous osoto-gari which warranted a
waza-ari score.

Baku Grand Slam bronze medallist CIRJENICS Miklos (HUN)
won -100kg gold as Hungary’s top performer in the final Grand Slam
before his country hosts the World Championships in August. World number
22 CIRJENICS won all four of his contests by ippon with the finest
display of his career. Antalya Grand Prix bronze medallist Niyaz ILYASOV
(RUS) was countered for a waza-ari score before the flowing Hungarian
added two further waza-ari scores. CIRJENICS had the Russian locked in a
tate-shiho-gatame hold and then adjusted to a juji-gatame to win by
submission.

In the first semi-final two-time Grand Slam bronze
medallist Jevgenijs BORODAVKO (LAT) tapped out to CIRJENICS in the last
30 seconds.

In the second semi-final ILYASOV caught Olympic silver
medallist Varlam LIPARTELIANI (GEO) with an ouchi-gari after an initial
uchi-mata attempt and the Georgian failed to counter as he fell down
into the bronze medal contest.

The first bronze medal was indeed won by LIPARTELIANI
against -100kg newcomer Alexandre IDDIR (FRA). The Frenchman moved up in
February and came up against one of his old -90kg rivals and the pair
could not be separated in four minutes of regulation time. An additional
20 seconds provided a winner as IDDIR was penalised with a shido for a
false attack.

The second bronze medal went to Zagreb Grand Prix
bronze medallist Laurin BOEHLER (AUT) who secured his first Grand Slam
medal in explosive fashion. The Austrian lifted up BORODAVKO with a
gigantic ura-nage for ippon as the crowd roared with approval.

The eighth Grand Slam medal for Tbilisi Grand Prix
bronze medallist David MOURA (BRA) was finally of the golden variety as
he conquered former Tokyo Grand Slam silver medallist Levani MATIASHVILI
(GEO) in an entertaining men’s heavyweight final. MOURA and MATIASHVILI
were fighting to break into the elite ranks alongside Olympic and world
medallists but both have their hands full on to earn international
selections with depth at the domestic heavyweight levels in Brazil and
Georgia. The heavyweights shook each other with osoto-gari attacks but
for no score and were eventually separated in golden score when the
Georgian received a second shido to finish second and put MOURA onto the
top of the podium.

In the first semi-final MOURA defeated Mongolia’s Rio
2016 Olympic flagbearer BATTULGA Temuulen (MGL) by ippon with a
left-sided uchi-mata. In the second semi-final European u23
Championships bronze medallist Uladzislau TSIARPITSKI (BLR) lost out to
MATIASHVILI by a waza-ari.

The first bronze medal was won by 2016 Tyumen Grand
Slam winner Andrey VOLKOV (RUS) who delivered a buzzer-beating waza-ari
which was awarded in time and spared both men from golden score. The
second and last bronze medal contest saw BATTULGA work his way past Baku
Grand Slam silver medallist BOR Barna (HUN) by a waza-ari score to
delight the huge group of travelling Mongolian fans in the upper tier at
the Palace of Sports.